


The Captain and the Nanny

by XxmerthurcatxX



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Babysitting, Bucky and Anna are gross and romantic, Bucky is his wingman, Fluff, He gets embarrassed easily, Light Angst, SO MUCH FLUFF, Sam is done with everyone, Steve is bad at flirting, Steve should stop doing the right thing all the time and get laid, Tony Stark likes to offer random people jobs, Tony and Pepper have two kids, and sex, natasha and clint have a kid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-01 13:17:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11487174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XxmerthurcatxX/pseuds/XxmerthurcatxX
Summary: Nora gets hired as the live in nanny for the Avenger's kids. She's there to watch the kids but Steve Rogers is very distracting.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Technically a follow up fic to my other fic I Met the Avengers and All I Got Was This Lousy Cyborg. It features my original character Anna, Bucky's dame, so you may want to read that one first so you're not like "who is this random chick." It can be read as a stand alone fic though.

It wasn’t that Nora minded babysitting for her sister, but she generally liked to have a little notice. When Bonnie had called her freaking out because she’d overbooked herself with client meetings, she had contemplated letting her think she would say no just to see what would happen. But she wasn’t heartless, so she agreed immediately. An hour later here she was, sitting in her favorite coffee shop with her two year old niece, Maggie, who was poking cheerios around her high chair. 

She sipped her coffee, smiling when Maggie began delightedly blowing spit bubbles. 

“Silly girl,” she said, scooping her niece up and tickling her belly. The little girl squealed, giggling and waving her arms widely. 

Nora set Maggie back in her high chair, taking a look around the coffee shop, her eyes landing on two men having coffee together. One of them was holding a baby who was positively wailing, trying to hand him back to the other man, a brunette with a goatee, who was backing away before sprinting to the bathroom. 

The other man held the baby, both arms outstretched, looking positively terrified. He was blonde and built and definitely the kind of guy who looked like he would help an old lady cross the street but also slam you against a wall and utterly ravish you. He must have felt her eyes on him because suddenly he was looking at her, eyes wide and almost pleading. 

She wasn’t sure what came over her but she found herself waving him over. He stood, holy shit he was tall, and came over to her table, looking a little confused. 

“Hi, um, you looked like you needed some help,” she said, suddenly feeling nervous. 

“Yeah. My buddy Tony just kind of handed him to me and I-I’m not really good at this,” he grunted when the little boy bonked him on the nose. “How do you get yours to behave?” he asked, eyeing Maggie who had gone back to her cheerios, sighing as if she was bored with the conversation. 

“Oh she’s not mine. I’m just babysitting for my sister. She’s always been pretty well behaved though. Mind if I take him?” she asked, holding out her arms. 

The man handed him to her quickly, seemingly glad to have him out of his arms. The little boy looked at her, sniffling. His bottom lip was trembling so more tears could be on the way. 

“What’s his name?” she asked. 

“Uh, Howard. We call him Howie though.”

“Hey Howie,” she cooed, bouncing him on her hip. 

He blinked at her for a moment before a shy smile spread across his face. One little tooth was sticking out from his bottom gums. 

“Oh, you must be teething huh? I bet that’s no fun. But you know what? You are so handsome. Yes you are!” She blew a raspberry against his cheek and as soon as he giggled she knew she had him. 

“Huh. You make it look so easy,” the man said. 

“My sister’s a lawyer and her husband is a doctor, so I babysit a lot. I’m Nora,” she said, shifting Howie’s weight and offering the man her hand. 

“Steve,” he said, shaking her hand. 

Of course Maggie had decided she was done with her cheerios and wanted attention. As soon as she saw Nora holding another baby she let out a squawk, reaching out with her little fists. 

“No! No!” she cried, trying to pull herself out of her high chair toward her aunt. 

“She calls me No cause Nora is still too hard for her to say. Oh, would you mind picking her up. She’s probably jealous I’m holding Howie.”

Steve looked a little hesitant but did as she asked, holding Maggie the same way he had Howie; with his arms stretched too far in front of him. Nora smiled. 

“It might help if you hold her a little closer. She won’t bite.”

“O-Okay.”

He mimicked the way Nora was holding Howie, tucking Maggie into the crook of his arm (and holy biceps batman) and resting her against his hip. Nora watched as he and Maggie stared at each other, both unsure, before Maggie grinned wide and gummy and wiggled closer as she placed her hands on Steve’s cheeks. 

“She likes me,” Steve said, grinning and making a silly face at the little girl. 

“Well Steve, I leave you alone for ten minutes and you’ve pawned my son off on an innocent bystander and stolen her daughter,” the man Nora had seen earlier, who now that he was closer she recognized as Tony Stark, said, arching a brow at Steve. 

“I didn’t pawn him off Tony. She offered. And then this little lady needed someone to pick her up so I-

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I’m Tony, and you are?” he asked, turning his attention to the woman holding his son. 

“Nora. And that’s Maggie who your friend is holding. She’s my niece,” she explained. 

Tony hummed, giving Nora a once over and holding out his arms for his son. She handed him over and reached for Maggie who let out an indignant screech and held fast to Steve’s shirt. 

“Come on Mags, let the nice man go.”

“No!” Maggie pouted, looking up at Steve with big weepy eyes. 

“Sorry kiddo. I gotta go. And I can’t take you with me,” he said, carefully extracting her hands from his shirt and handing her back to her aunt. 

“You got a job?” Tony asked suddenly, trying to avoid his son’s fingers as he tried to shove them up his nose. 

“Um, yeah. I’m an artist. Mostly logos and stuff. Why?” she asked, peppering Maggie’s face with kisses to make up for taking her back from Steve. Wait...Steve. If this was Tony Stark then, her eyes widened. “Hey wait, are you Steve Rogers?” she asked. 

Steve looked sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Yeah.”

“Well no wonder you like him Maggie. That’s Captain America,” she told the little girl. Maggie didn’t seem to to care much who he was, but she was still staring at him with a wide smile. 

“Cap!” she squealed, reaching for him again. 

“Smart little thing isn’t she,” Tony mused, bouncing his son up and down in an attempt to keep him calm. “So, you want a job?”

“I...what?” she asked. 

“Well, several of us over in Avengers Tower have kids now. I’ve got another one at home. She’s four. And Pepper, that’s my wife, and I have been talking about hiring a live in nanny and then you come along and seem perfect for the job. Of course you’ll have to go through an obscene amount of paperwork and a quite frankly unnecessarily intrusive background check before S.H.I.E.L.D gives you the okay, but as far as I’m concerned the jobs yours if you want it.”

Nora blinked at him, then glanced at Steve. He shrugged. This must be pretty par for the course for Tony Stark. 

She thought for a moment. It would be nice to have a steady income in between art gigs. And the lease on her apartment was nearly up anyway. 

“Yeah. Yeah I’ll take it.”

“Fantastic. Come by the tower tomorrow. Ten o’clock?”

“Sounds great.”

“Alright. Let’s go Capsicle,” Tony said. 

“Guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” Steve said, smiling at her. 

“Cap!” Maggie squealed again. 

“It was a pleasure to meet you miss,” Steve said, shaking the little girl’s hand with a mock serious look on his face. Nora's heart melted a little. 

“See you tomorrow.”

She watched him go, eyes drifting down to his ass and damn those jeans didn’t leave much to the imagination. 

“Oh Mags, I think I’m in trouble.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed my OC's name to Nora! I changed it in the first chapter so it's the same, but just in case peeps got confused if they read the first chapter before I had changed it!

Her first two weeks in Avengers Tower Nora felt like she may be in over her head, but by the time a month had gone by it was home.

The floor that Tony had said would be hers needed to be renovated, which meant for the meantime she was sharing a floor with Steve and Sam. What a time that was. Steve ate more than any person she’d ever met and Sam was a neat freak. But she’d accommodated and honestly she spent most of her time on the Nanny Floor. Tony had named it that, as it was completely decked out with everything a child could possibly need. 

Everyone had been surprised by how quickly the kids took to her, but she just shrugged, explaining that kids had always liked her. 

Tony’s daughter Maria, named after his mother, was a genius. She finished puzzles in minutes and read every book she could get her hands on. Howie was content chewing on blocks and crawling around on his blankets. 

Clint and Natasha’s daughter, Eva, was quiet, but a bit of a terror. She liked to climb on things, which wouldn’t be so alarming if she wasn’t two years old and should not be able to scale a bookcase. Like mother like daughter. 

They were great kids and Nora was in love with all of them by her second day. 

It was the middle of playtime when Anna and Bucky stopped in for a visit. Well, mostly Anna, who had dragged Bucky along. 

“Hey! We wanted to see how you were settling in,” Anna said, plunking down on the floor. Bucky settled in next to her, nodding at Nora.

“It’s been great so far. Bunking with two men is a little awkward, but it could be worse,” Nora said, stifling a giggle when Eva snuggled into Bucky’s lap. She’d decided a while ago that Bucky was her best friend and it was by far the cutest thing. 

“Awkward? How so?” Anna asked, making a silly face at Howie. 

“Well, um, I walked in on Steve in the shower two days ago and now he won’t look at me. It’s been...weird.”

She was surprised when Bucky busted up laughing. 

“Sounds like Stevie,” he said, grinning. 

It was odd to see so much emotion from the usually grumpy super soldier. It was kind of nice. 

“Any clue how I can fix it? Sam’s been insufferable. He thinks it’s hilarious,” she grumbled. 

“You could try talking to him about it,” Anna suggested. 

“Bad idea. Steve gets embarrassed easily. He’ll get all red and stuttery,” Bucky said.

Nora thought for a moment. Steve all red and stuttery was a sight she actually wouldn’t mind seeing. She’d be lying if she said living with the Captain was all bad. Every morning when he padded into the kitchen in low riding blue pajama pants and a white tank top, or sometimes no shirt at all, she got distracted. She was worried he was gonna start thinking she was the world’s biggest klutz if she kept spilling her coffee every time he walked into the room. 

“I’m gonna go for it,” she said. 

Buck shook his head, ignoring Anna’s triumphant grin. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nora didn’t get a chance to talk to Steve that night at dinner. The Avengers had been called away on urgent business so she was on her own with Eva, since Pepper was around to cover Maria and Howie, until they got back. 

“You getting tired sweetie?” she asked when the little girl rubbed her eyes as The Little Mermaid flickered on the screen. 

She nodded, making grabby hands for Nora to pick her up. No sooner had she gotten her into her arms then the door flew open to reveal Clint and Natasha. 

“Hi! Sorry we’re so late,” Clint apologized. 

“No biggie. We were just about to get ready for bed,” she said, passing Eva to Natasha. 

She made her way down to her floor and headed to the bathroom for a much needed shower. Eva had decided to draw on her arms with washable marker while they watched movies. For a two year old they were pretty good. 

She washed quickly, eager get into her pyjamas and snag something to eat. She had her towel halfway wrapped around her when the door flew open to reveal a very sweaty and exhausted Steve. 

They stood in shock staring at each other for a moment before Steve backed out of the room with a muttered apology, practically slamming the door. Oh no, he wasn’t getting away that easily. Wrapping her towel securely around her she followed him to the kitchen. 

“Hey, Rogers!”

He turned to face her, mouth open slightly and his face bright red. Oh wow. Blushy Steve was adorable. 

“U-uh, sorry about, um-

“Walking in on me naked?” she asked, arching a brow. 

Steve’s blush darkened. 

“Yeah. That.”

Nora sighed. 

“Look, it’s not a big deal. We live together. It was only a matter of time before someone walked in on someone else in the shower. So now that we’ve both done it can we move on from the awkwardness and be friends again?” she asked. 

“I-I...yes. Yeah we can. Sorry. I didn’t mean to make it weird. I was embarrassed,” he admitted, offering a small smile. 

“Embarrassed? Of what?” she asked, giving him a deliberate up down. 

Despite being fully clothed in his Cap suit, Steve crossed his arms over himself. 

“I didn’t always look like this and even though it’s been decades, sometimes I still feel like the skinny kid from Brooklyn no one wanted to dance with,” he said, pulling off his helmet and setting it on the counter. 

Nora felt a pang in her heart. How could anyone not want Steve? Aside from being borderline godlike in looks, he was nice. Like, ridiculously nice. And he was funny and kind of a bossy little shit. 

“You’re a catch. And not just because of how you look on the outside. You have nothing to be embarrassed about, pal. And neither do I. Friends?” she asked, holding out her hand. 

He smiled that nervous smile again and shook her hand. 

“Friends. And thanks.”

“Anytime.”

Realizing she was still in her towel, Nora headed off down the hall to her room, collapsing against the door as soon as it closed behind her. She’d never been particularly shy and her brain to mouth filter was nonexistent. _Not just because of how you look on the outside _. Why not just sky write, “Hey Steve, I think we should bone.” She shook her head, hoping Steve was too oblivious to notice the crush she was developing.__

__She dressed quickly, pulling on a pair of sweats and an old Nirvana t-shirt and throwing her still wet chestnut hair up into a messy bun before heading back out to the kitchen. Sam was slicing up veggies, humming along to the radio._ _

__“Whatcha making?” she asked, leaning against the fridge._ _

__“Veggie lasagna. Sound good?”_ _

__“Sounds great.”_ _

__They chatted idly until Sam got the lasagna in the oven and the song changed and all of a sudden Talk Dirty to Me was blasting through the speakers. Nora busted up laughing, getting to her feet and bopping Sam with her hip before he started dancing to._ _

__“I got lipstick stamps on my passport. You make it hard to leave,” she sang._ _

__Sam grinned, looping an arm around her waist and pulling her into dance with him. She and Sam had struck up a pretty solid friendship, so it wasn’t weird to be this close._ _

__“What smells g- what are you guys doing?!” Steve spluttered, walking in as the saxophone riff started and Sam and Nora picked up the grinding._ _

__“What’s it look like? We’re dancing,” Nora said._ _

__“That’s not what it looks like,” he grumbles._ _

__Sam and Nora shared a look, sporting matching grins before they pounced on Steve._ _

__“Dancewhich!” Sam shouted, jumping up and down behind Steve and making him move his shoulders._ _

__“Come on Steve loosen up!” Nora giggles, hands grabbing Steve and making him sway his hips in time with hers._ _

__“All I really need to understand is! When! You! Talk dirty to me!” They sang together._ _

__Despite his blush, Steve couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his lips as his arm went around her waist, finally letting loose and dancing for real. Of course that’s when the time for the oven went off and Sam sprinted over to it, leaving Nora and Steve still glued together, looking at each other with wide eyes. With Sam out of the equation it suddenly seemed very intimate to be pressed against each other like this._ _

__Steve let go of Nora as if he’d been burned, clearing his throat and putting some distance between them as the song ended._ _

__Luckily with dinner ready things didn’t have time to get weird. Honestly, Nora wasn’t sure she could handle this. It seemed like no matter how hard she tried, she and Steve were destined to tiptoe around each other like a couple of awkward ducklings._ _


	3. Chapter 3

Nora wasn’t really sure how she got dragged into this. One minute she had been putting the kids to sleep and the next Natasha had snuck up on her and all but dragged her up to the floor she shared with Clint for a game of truth, dare or drink. And drink they did. So much. 

They all sat in a circle. All but Pepper who had gone to bed because she had an early meeting. Clint had just finished a sexy strip tease, down to his boxers, that left them all giggling. He settled back in next to Nat, grinning. 

“Alright. Nora, truth, dare, or drink?” he asked. 

“Dare,” she said, taking a swig of her beer anyway. 

He thought for a moment, scratching his chin. 

“I dare you to take Steve’s shirt off and wear it for the rest of the game.”

She rolled her in eyes in mock annoyance. 

“Why do all of these dares involve nudity?” she asked. 

There were shrugs all around. Nora looked across the circle at Steve who was looking at her like a deer in the headlights. She scooched her way over to him. 

“May I?” she asked, hands gripping the hem of his shirt. 

Steve swallowed hard, nodding and lifting his arms to help as she pulled his shirt up over his head. As always he was blushing as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Thanks,” she said, smiling at him and going back to her place. 

They were all still staring at her. 

“Oh, right.”

She pulled off her own shirt, not caring that she only had a bra on underneath. It was a sports bra anyway. She yanked on Steve’s shirt. It was warm, which made sense because Steve was practically a space heater. It smelled like him too. Like sweat and deodorant and got it was hot. 

“Okay, uh, Bucky! Truth, dare, or drink?” she asked, trying to distract herself from the fact that wearing Steve’s shirt was turning her on. 

“Truth.”

“Who was your first kiss?” she asked. 

“Steve,” he said, without missing a beat. 

Steve choked on his beer. Everyone was staring at him in shock except for Anna. She must have already had this conversation with the ex assassin. 

“I didn’t even know you remembered that!” Steve practically squeaked. 

“Some things are hard to forget Stevie,” he said, winking at him and blowing a kiss across the circle. 

“Um, do we get the story or what?” Tony asked. 

“It was a steamy night in Brooklyn,” Bucky started. 

“We were sixteen. I hadn’t kissed anyone. Neither had Bucky. It was once time and we never talked about it again,” Steve said, hurriedly cutting off his best friend and shooting him a look that clearly said if he said anything else he would kill him. 

“Nothing to be embarrassed about. It was a good kiss,” Bucky mused. 

“Yes it was, now shut up!”

Once everyone had stopped laughing at the look on Steve’s face the game continued. Tony had to lick chocolate sauce off Sam’s abs. Nat could only speak in Russian until her next turn. Finally, after an embarrassing one man rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody, Sam decided it was Steve’s turn. 

“So Cap, you’re all out of truths and drinks which mean you have to take dare.”

Steve sighed but didn’t argue, gesturing for his friend to continue. 

“I dare you to take Nora into the closet for seven minutes in heaven.”

There were “oooo’s” all around. Steve opened his mouth but before he could say anything Nora was up, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the closet, which Sam locked behind them. 

“Relax,” she said, taking in his terrified expression. “We can just stand here. No biggie.”

Steve nodded, glancing around the closet. He sighed, leaning against the wall and squeezing his eyes shut. Nora realized his hands were starting to shake.  
“Are you okay?” she asked, suddenly concerned. 

He shook his head no. 

“Steve are you...are you claustrophobic?” she asked. 

He didn’t answer but she could tell by the way he was shaking harder now that he was. Oh God. She moved to knock on the door for Sam to let them out but Steve caught her wrist. 

“D-don’t. I’m f-fine.”

“You’re not fine. You’re-

“T-they don’t n-need to know.”

Nora understood. He felt weak and he didn’t want his friends and comrades to see him like this. But she had to do something. 

“Okay, would it be better or worse if I touch you?” she asked, wanting to make sure she wasn’t about to do something he wasn’t on board with. 

“B-better I think,” he managed. 

With his okay Nora wrapped her arms around him, trying to ignore the fact that he was still shirtless, and pulled him close. She slid her hand to the back of his head, guiding him closer. He took the hint, hiding his face in her neck and wrapping his arms around her back. 

“Breathe with me okay? We’re not trapped. We’ll only be in here a few more minutes. Breathe,” she murmured, running gentle fingers through his hair. 

She felt him exhale a shuddering breath against her neck, his hands fisting the back of her shirt (technically his shirt) in an effort to ground himself. 

“That’s it. Good,” she said softly. 

They stood like that until his breathing returned to normal and Nora realized their time must be almost up. 

“Hey, wanna mess with them? Get a little revenge?” she asked. 

Steve managed a small smile and nodded. 

“Cool. Don’t freak out okay?”

Before Steve could respond she dropped to her knees in front of him, fingers gripping the waistband of his jeans just as the door flew open to reveal the shocked faces of the entire group. 

“What? Time’s up already?” she asked, playing dumb. 

“W-were you guys-

Nora busted up laughing and after a moment Steve joined in to, offering her a hand up. 

“Your face!” Steve said, pointing at Sam and looking like his old self now the door was open. 

“You assholes! That wasn’t funny!”

The game wound down after that and it wasn’t long before they were heading back to their floors. And if Nora fell asleep in Steve’s shirt, no one needed to know. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning was rough. It wasn’t the worst hangover she’d ever had, but it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park either. Somehow she managed to get herself out of bed and to the kitchen. Steve was already there, looking far too cheerful.

“Stop doing that,” she grumbled. 

“What?” he asked, confused. 

“That thing with your face. It’s making me nauseous.”

“Someone needs coffee,” he said, grinning. 

“That! Right there. You’re doing it again.”

“Sorry! I get it. No smiling.”

Despite her mood she couldn’t help but feel a little tickled when he slid a steaming mug off coffee across the counter to her. 

“You’re not hungover,” she realized, glaring at him suspiciously. 

“Oh, yeah. Side effect of the serum they injected me with back in the day. Can’t get drunk. Can be kind of a downer, though from the way you look this morning I’m honestly a little glad.” 

“Gee thanks,” she grunted, taking a long slow slip of coffee. 

“I didn’t mean-

“It’s fine Steve. I saw myself in the mirror this morning. I know it ain’t a pretty sight.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” he said quietly. 

It was silent between them for a moment as Nora let that sink in. Steve had sort of admitted that he found her attractive. Which wouldn’t be so weird if she didn’t know the current state of her hair was an actual rat's nest. 

“So...am I ever getting my shirt back?” Steve asked, arching a brow. 

It was Nora’s turn to blush as she glanced down to see she was in fact still wearing his shirt. Little shit didn’t have to bring it up when her guard was down. She recovered quickly and shrugged, trying to seem non committal. 

“Don’t know. It’s pretty comfortable.”

Steve smiled, surprising her when he reached forward to tuck a lock of unruly hair behind her ear. 

“Keep it. Looks better on you anyway,” he said, before disappearing down the hall. 

Nora couldn’t shake the warm, fuzzy feeling in her gut for the rest of the day.


	4. Chapter 4

With the Avengers gone on a mission it was just Nora and the kids, who were currently settled in for a nap and thank god for that. It had been an eventful day. She’d had the addition of her niece, Maggie, when Bonnie once again called for a last minute babysitter and for some reason having one extra kid to look after made everything more challenging. 

She took them to the park for a few hours, having packed a picnic. When Maggie saw Eva scale a tree in seconds flat she wanted to try and ended up scraping up her knees pretty badly, something she was sure Bonnie would not be pleased about. 

Howie was the easiest to deal with, as he just gurgled and played with blocks. Maria kept asking her advanced physics questions that she promised to write down and give to Tony later so he could see that his daughter was actually turning into him. In fact she may actually be the smartest four year old on the planet. 

Luckily, they were all pretty tuckered out, so by the time she got them back to the tower it wasn’t hard to get them to sleep. Eva and Maria were snuggled up together on one of the big beds. Bonnie had picked Maggie up just as they had gotten back to the tower. Howie didn’t like to be alone, so she’d settled him in the pop up crib in the living room so he could be with her. 

Nora pulled out her sketchpad, thankful for the downtime giving her time to work on her latest logo design, since that was her actual career. It was for some local band she hadn’t heard of before they hired her, called Serenity. They wanted something with with fireflies and a spaceship so she was a little stumped. 

Sighing, she flipped to a new page and started sketching something else since she wasn’t making headway with the logo. Steve popped into her head as he often did and not for the first time she found herself beginning to draw him. 

She started with his jawline, shading in just a light stubble, like he had when he made the coffee in the morning. Next was his nose. She made sure to include the small bump and gentle divot in the middle, something Steve probably hated, but she thought was adorable. 

His lips were always difficult. They were plush, but not so much as Bucky’s or Nat's. His bottom lip was a hair thicker than his top lip. She smiled as she shaded in his cupid’s bow. It really was unfair how beautiful he was. 

His eyes she always saved for last. It wasn’t that they were hard to draw. She was pretty sure at this point she could do it in her sleep. It was deciding what emotion to put behind them. She hadn’t drawn him smiling, so there was no need for eye crinkles. She settled on how he looked in the morning, since she’d gone with the stubble. His eyes were always a little bleary from just waking up, but wide and bright. He was a morning person and even though she didn’t understand how anyone could possibly have the energy that Steve did in the morning, it was something she liked about him. One of the many things she liked about him in fact. 

When the door flew open she slammed her sketchbook shut. It was Pepper, her face streaked with tears. Clint and Natasha were right behind her. 

“What’s wrong? What happened?” she asked, getting to her feet. 

“I-it’s Tony…” Pepper trailed off, a fresh wave of tears hitting her. 

“He’s in the hospital. It’s pretty serious,” Nat said quietly. 

“I’m going there now. I-I just came for the kids,” Pepper told her. 

“Are you sure? I can keep watching them if you need me to,” she offered. 

“Sorry kid, I think you’re needed elsewhere,” Clint told her. 

Nora looked at him in confusion before her eyes widened, fear creeping into her veins. 

“Is he okay?” she asked, swallowing hard. 

“He’s not hurt. But...Sam tried to talk him down and it didn’t go so well. We thought you might have better luck,” he explained. 

Nora nodded, giving Pepper’s hand a squeeze before practically sprinting to the elevator. 

As soon as she reached her floor she was running. Sam was sitting at the kitchen table. There was a loud crash from the bedroom, followed by a few choice curse words. 

“I’d leave him be. He’s pretty pissed,” Sam said, looking at Nora with tired eyes. 

“What happened?” she asked. 

“Tony went down. Hard. And Steve blames himself, because that’s just who he is. There was nothing he could have done.”

Nora sighed, steeling her resolve and heading to Steve’s room despite Sam’s warning to give him space. 

The door was slightly ajar. She pushed it open, flinching as Steve’s fist connected with the wall, making a very large hole. 

“Steve?” she asked, hesitant. 

He whirled around to face her, eyes wild and angry. 

“Go away,” he said, a quiet anger in his voice she’d never heard before. 

She shook her head. 

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Just leave me alone!” he snarled. 

She glared at him. 

“I’m not going to leave and let you destroy your fucking bedroom. Now sit the hell down and talk to me like a grown up!” she snapped. 

Steve blinked at her and then something broke as he sat himself down on the edge of the bed, hiding his face in his hands. Nora sat next to him, gently pushing his hands away and pulling off his helmet. His eyes were red rimmed and tired and her heart broke when she saw the tear trailing down his cheek. 

“Oh, Steve,” she murmured, brushing a few strands of sweaty hair from his forehead. 

He let out a sound like a choked off hiccup and then his arms were around her as he cried into her neck. His whole body shook as he sobbed, clinging to her like a lifeline. She rocked him slowly back and forth, whispering soft words to sooth him, pressing a soft kiss to his temple. 

He cried for a long time, pressed tight against her. Nora understood. Steve didn’t like to feel weak. He probably didn’t let himself cry like this very often, if ever. But with everything he’s been though, he deserved a good cry, for as long as he needed it. 

His sobs began to subside as he took a few deep breaths in between sniffles. Nora kept an arm around him as he pulled away, eyes downcast. 

“I’m sorry,” he muttered. 

Nora just shook her head, aimlessly running her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. 

“You don’t have to apologize. And you don’t have to tell me about the mission. I just want to be here for you. Okay?” she said simply. 

Steve searched her face, like he was trying to figure out the answer to an impossible question. His eyes flickered to her lips, but only for a moment. She wouldn’t have let him kiss her now anyway. It would be because he’s feeling vulnerable. Not because he really wants her. 

“Sorry about your shirt,” he said.

Nora followed his gaze to her sleeve, which was in fact stained with tears and snot. She shrugged. 

“It’s yours anyway.”

Steve smiled, small and shy, then his eyes widened. 

“You’re hurt,” he said, hands cupping her face in concern. 

She had no clue what he was talking about and was about to tell him as much when she remembered the band aids on her forehead, promptly reaching up to pull them off.

“No, I had Maggie today and she scraped up her knees. She wouldn’t let me put band aids on unless she got to put them on me too,” she explained. 

“Oh,” Steve said, letting go of her and looking embarrassed. 

Speaking of injuries though, Nora noticed he was nursing his right hand. She took his hand, pulling off his glove. His knuckles were split open, bleeding, and from the look of it there was glass. 

“Jesus. You should be worried about you, not me.”

“I’m fine,” he said, trying to pull his hand away. 

“You are not. Why didn’t you have Anna look at this?”

“She’s busy. Buck’s worse off. I mean, he’s fine, but his injuries are worse than mine.”

Nora arched a brow. 

“Injuries? Plural?” she asked. 

Steve shifted uncomfortably, his left hand pressed over the right side of his torso. Nora was up and off the bed in a moment, rummaging through Steve’s drawers and coming out with a white t-shirt and a pair of blue pajama pants. She all but threw them at the self sacrificing idiot of a super soldier. 

“I’m gonna get the first aid kid from the bathroom. You get changed,” she ordered. 

“You don’t have to-

“Shut up Steve.”

She took her time getting the kit, to make sure Steve had time to change. If she walked in on him naked again she wasn’t sure they’d be able to laugh it off and honestly she couldn’t handle more awkwardness right now. 

When she got back to the room he was sitting on the edge of the bed again, this time in the clothes she’d thrown at him. He offered her a t-shirt before she could say anything. 

“Since I got that one all gross,” he said by way of explanation. 

Nora set the kit down and tugged off her shirt, smiling when Steve turned away to give her a little privacy. Not like it mattered. After that game of truth or dare all the Avengers, except the ones who didn’t live in the tower, had seen her in a bra. She tugged on the new shirt, which smelled overwhelmingly like Steve, before sitting next to him. 

Neither of them spoke as she used tweezers to pull the glass from his knuckles, dabbed them gingerly with an alcohol wipe to sterilize them and wrapped them in gauze in case they reopened. 

“Okay. Shirt off.”

Steve, for once, didn’t blush or argue as he pulled the slightly too tight shirt off. Nora’s eyes widened at the beginnings of a nasty bruise forming over his ribs. Luckily, because Anna is a magical human being, there was salve for bruises included in the kit. 

She rubbed the salve gently over the bruise, not missing the hitch in Steve’s breath or the way his muscles tensed under her fingers. She couldn’t help but wonder he’d react this way under a different kind of touch. Now wasn’t the time to be thinking like that, she scolded herself. 

“Anywhere else?” she asked. 

Steve shook his head.

Satisfied with her work she tucked the supplies away in the kit. Steve blinked tiredly up at her as she stood. 

“Get some rest before dinner okay?”

Steve was already pulling his shirt back on and curling into a ball. She smiled fondly at him, snagging the shirt Steve had cried all over and the kit, heading to her room.  
Sam was waiting anxiously in the kitchen. 

“He’s fine,” she told him. 

He let out a breath. 

“That’s good. Was worried his might level the place.”

Nora smiled, settling herself on one of the barstools. 

“Is, uh, is that another one of Steve’s shirts?” he asked, knowing that it was. 

“Yeah. My other one was...compromised,” she said. 

Sam’s eyes were as big as saucers and his mouth dropped open. 

“Oh god, not like that! I just mean it got snot on it. Jeez, get your mind out of the gutter.”

“You can’t honestly tell me you don’t want him though,” Sam said, arching a brow at her as if daring her to argue. 

“Yes I want him. Of course I do. Call me crazy, but making a move on someone after they’ve clearly had a grueling day doesn’t seem like a great idea. Besides, I hate making the first move. It always blows up in my face,” she grumbled. 

“Well, if you wait for him to make one you might have to wait forever. Steve’s pretty clueless. He won’t do anything unless he’s one hundred percent sure you want him to. And maybe not even then.”

Nora groaned, letting her head fall forward onto the table. 

Steve joined them about an hour later, looking a little better than he had before. His eyes landed on Nora. 

“So...do I get _that _shirt back or no?” he asked, sitting across from her.__

____

____

“I don’t know Rogers. You gave it to me. No take backsies.”


	5. Chapter 5

Tony was fine and out of the hospital in a little over a week. The doctors had been so ready for him to leave they practically kicked him out. According to Pepper he was the worst patient on the planet. Which wasn’t really surprising. He didn’t like not having control. 

Luckily it seemed like bad guys were taking a vacation, as the Earth was, for the first time in a while, not in jeopardy every two minutes. Of course with all the avengers kicking back and relaxing, Nora didn’t need to watch the kids and she wasn’t sure what to do with all the downtime. 

Steve and Sam decided for her, dragging her into a Lord of the Rings marathon. Not that she was complaining. A few weeks ago she had told Tony that she didn’t need her own floor and he’d immediately asked if it was because she was doing Steve. She had, not so politely, explained that she’d gotten used to living with the guys. They had a great dynamic going and she didn’t want to ruin it. 

She was curled up on the couch with Steve while Sam took the chair. They were close. Not quite touching, but close enough the she could feel the heat radiating from his body. She wondered if being a human space heater was something that had come with the serum or if even when he was a skinny little bean he still ran hot. She guessed it was the serum. 

Sam kept sending her these knowing little smirks and it was really starting to get on her nerves, but she forgot her annoyance when Shelob came on the screen. She flinched. Spiders. Not her thing. So far from her thing. Steve noticed her discomfort and wordlessly slipped an arm around her shoulders. She glanced up at him to find that his face was bright red, but his eyes remained locked on the screen. 

Nora scooched a little closer, figuring she had the go ahead since he had, shockingly, touched her first. She let her head rest on his shoulder, taking a moment to subtly breathe him in. It was easier to get through the spider scene with two hundred and twenty pounds of solid super soldier to make you feel safe. 

The scene ended and Steve was up and off the couch. 

“I’m, uh, popcorn,” he said lamely, excusing himself. 

“Well that was short lived,” Nora grumbled, sitting upright and scooching back to her original spot so Steve would have space when he came back.

“If it makes you feel better, that’s the closest thing to a move I’ve ever seen him make,” Sam said, smiling encouragingly. 

Nora wasn’t convinced. 

They decided to call it quits halfway through the last movie. All three in one sitting turned out to be more than they could handle. Nora didn’t have much time to think of something else to do because Natasha and Anna showed up and all but dragged her to the gym. 

As convenient as it was to have their own personalized gym, Nora wasn’t big into working out, unless under penalty of death. But Nat and Anna had promised girl talk, so she went with it. 

“So, what’s up with you and Steve?” Anna asked, picking up her pace on the elliptical. 

Nora paused in her sit ups, pushing her sweaty hair out of her face. 

“Nothing is up with me and Steve.”

“Oh please. You’re almost as bad as Anna was before she and Bucky got together,” Nat said, not even breaking a sweat as she did more chin ups than Nora could even think about. 

“I wasn’t that bad!”

“Yes you were. There was so much pining it was ridiculous.”

“Guys. Seriously. It’s cool. Yes I like Steve, but he either doesn’t like me or he’s too shy to make the first move and I’m not going to take the chance,” Nora said, taking a long swig off her water bottle. 

“Why not? What’s the worst that’ll happen?”

“He’ll say yes, date me for a while, dump me for my sister and marry her a year later,” she deadpanned. 

Anna and Nat stopped what they were doing, staring at her. 

“I-Is this the sister you babysit for all the time?” Anna asked. 

Nora nodded. 

“Shit. You’re a better woman than I am then,” Nat said, shaking her head. 

“Yeah. Kind of put me off making the first move forever.”

Sam and Steve came in before the conversation could go any further, laughing as Steve punched Sam in the arm. 

“All I’m saying is, it wouldn’t be fair to see who can do more pushups. You’ve got genetic modification on your side,” Sam said. 

“Sounds to me like you’re chickening out,” Steve teased.  
Sam rolled his eyes, glancing toward Nora, a sly smile creeping across his face. Well that was never a good sign. 

“Fine. We can see who can do more pushups. But you, need to put extra weight on your back. To make it even.”

Steve shrugged. 

“Seems fair.”

“Good. Hey Nora, help us out would you!”

Nora got to her feet, warily making her way over to them. Sam’s plans never ended well, but she was intrigued. 

“Would you mind sitting on Steve’s back while we do a pushup challenge?”

Steve’s eyes widened for a moment, but he schooled his expression quickly. 

“Uh, yeah sure.”

She swallowed as Steve got into position and, as carefully as she could, sat criss cross on his back. 

“Am I too heavy?” she asked. 

Steve glanced over his shoulder at her, arching a brow. Guess that was kind of a dumb question to ask, considering she’d heard all about the time he’d literally held onto a helicopter to keep Bucky from leaving. Next to that she couldn’t feel like much more than a sack of potatoes. 

“Nat, you wanna keep count for me?” Sam asked. 

Nat nodded, coming to sit next to Sam. Anna was distracted when Bucky came in, shirtless, and threw her a smirk when he saw her checking him out. 

“You, uh, mind keeping count for me?” Steve asked. 

“Sure thing,” Nora said. 

“Alright boys. Ready, set, go!” Nat called. 

Nora wobbled slightly when Steve started to move, her hands flying out on instinct to grip his sides. She felt him stiffen for a moment, but he didn’t stop, gritting his teeth in concentration. She was having trouble keeping her cool, watching Steve’s muscles working underneath her. God she wanted him. 

But it was more than that. 

Sure she wanted to shove him against the nearest surface, horizontal or vertical, and have her wicked way with him. But she wanted other things too. Lazy sunday mornings spent talking in bed. Drinking coffee and smiling at each other over the brims of their mugs. Showing him her favorite places in the city. Falling asleep watching movies. 

She was so surprised by her the revelation she actually jumped a little when she came back to herself, knocking herself off kilter and promptly toppling off Steve’s back and onto the mat. Steve stopped. 

“Ha! I win!” Sam said, flopping down in exhaustion. 

“Does it really count as winning if he only stopped cause Nora fell?” Nat asked. 

“Shut up,” Sam grunted. 

Nora realized Steve was still staring at her and got to her feet, mumbling something about needing a shower and all but running to the co-ed locker room. 

She barely had a minute to catch her breath before the door opened and Steve was there, looking concerned. 

“You left kind of quickly. Are you okay?” he asked. 

Nora thought about coming up with some lame excuse. But she didn’t think Steve would buy it. Sam’s words were ringing in her ear. _If you wait for him to make the first move, you might have to wait forever. ___

__Before she could talk herself out of it, she moved into Steve’s personal space, placing gentle hands on his shoulders._ _

__“W-what are you-_ _

__She cut him off, pressing her lips to his in a chaste kiss. Just enough to get the point across. When she pulled back she kept her eyes closed, too scared of what his reaction might be._ _

__She didn’t have much time to worry because then Steve was kissing her, with zero finesse. The kiss was sloppy. Too much of everything. His teeth knocked against her bottom lip hard enough that it hurt. It was a mess, but there was something so _Steve _about it she couldn’t bring herself to mind. She pressed herself closer to him, rolling her hips slowly against his. Steve broke the kiss, practically shoving her away from him and putting space between them.___ _

____“What’s wrong?” she asked when she’d gotten her breath back._ _ _ _

____“I...This isn’t a good idea.”_ _ _ _

____She felt her heart beginning to break._ _ _ _

____“Why not?”_ _ _ _

____“B-because...I just...I can’t do this.”_ _ _ _

____He was gone from the room so fast she wondered if she hadn’t imagined the whole encounter. The ache in her heart was enough to tell her it was real._ _ _ _

____\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_ _ _ _

____It took a few days, but Nora had built her wall back up and was well on her way to getting things back on track. Steve was MIA so that made it easier. That was until a very angry Bucky showed up at her door._ _ _ _

____“What the hell did you do?” he asked, pushing past her and heading to the kitchen where she and Sam had been talking._ _ _ _

____“What makes you think I did anything?” she asked, crossing her arms._ _ _ _

____“Oh I don’t know. Maybe the giant weepy super soldier currently crashing on my couch.”_ _ _ _

____Nora sighed._ _ _ _

____“I didn’t do anything.”_ _ _ _

____“Well clearly you did cause he’s all upset and look at you. You’re not spending all your time moping around.”_ _ _ _

____“Yes she is,” Sam piped up._ _ _ _

____“Traitor,” she said, glaring at him._ _ _ _

____“Tell me what happened so I can try to piece him back together.”_ _ _ _

____“I kissed him.”_ _ _ _

____“You...you kissed him?” Bucky asked,_ _ _ _

____“Yes. I kissed him. That’s all I did. I took everyone’s advice and made the first move and,” her voice cracked, “Damn it!” she swore, wiping at the tears that had begun sliding down her cheeks._ _ _ _

____Bucky looked horrified that she was in tears and without thinking he dragged her in for a bear hug, rubbing her back._ _ _ _

____“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry. I’m sorry,” he said hurriedly._ _ _ _

____Nora laughed a watery laugh against his chest._ _ _ _

____“I-it’s okay. I always cry when I’m frustrated.”_ _ _ _

____Bucky nodded, keeping a hand on her shoulder even when she pulled away from him, wiping her eyes on her shirt. Well...Steve’s shirt._ _ _ _

____“So, you kissed him. And-_ _ _ _

____“He freaked out,” Sam supplied._ _ _ _

____“Damn it Stevie,” Bucky grumbled._ _ _ _

____“Look, I’m fine. I’m a big girl. I can handle a little rejection.”_ _ _ _

____“But he likes you!” Bucky blurted._ _ _ _

____“Dude!” Sam practically yelped._ _ _ _

____Nora shook her head._ _ _ _

____“Obviously that’s not true.”_ _ _ _

____“But-_ _ _ _

____“Seriously Bucky, drop it okay?” she pleaded._ _ _ _

____He didn’t look particularly thrilled but he let it go, pulling her in for one last hug before heading back to his own floor._ _ _ _

____Nora sighed, plunking down at the kitchen counter and smiling gratefully when Sam pushed the ice cream toward her._ _ _ _

____“It’s gonna be okay kid,” he assured her._ _ _ _

____“I know. I just...I thought I read the signs right this time. It seemed like he might actually like me.”_ _ _ _

____Sam didn’t say anything, knowing Steve would kill him if he did, and nodded, giving her hand a squeeze._ _ _ _

____“Maybe you caught him off guard,” Sam suggested._ _ _ _

____Nora’s smile was small and sad._ _ _ _

____“Yeah. Yeah. Maybe.”_ _ _ _


	6. Chapter 6

Nora woke up from a nightmare for the first time in a long time. It was the same one she’d had since she was a teenager. Running down a dark alley. Cornered by some creepy monster. She always woke up right before it got her. 

She blinked at the clock. Nine in the morning. Well, at least she’d slept that whole night, even if it hadn’t been all that restful. 

When she padded into the kitchen she was surprised to see Steve standing there. He slid a mug of coffee to her, not really looking at her, but it was a start. She thought about ducking back into her room and changing her shirt before Steve saw that it was one of his. Since he’d been crashing at Bucky’s she’d snitched another one from his room, as her other two had been in the laundry. But then his eyes landed on her and the chance to escape was gone. 

His eyes slid down to her shirt. It was one of his favorites and she knew it. The grey one he liked to wear when he went running. 

“You can have it back. Um, you can have all of them back,” she said, taking a long sip of her coffee. 

A look of hurt flickered across his face and he shook his head. 

“Don’t worry about it.”

She huffed. 

“All things considered, I don’t think I should keep them.”

Steve set his mug on the table, a little harder than necessary. 

“Look, I’m sorry I can’t give you what you want. I-I’m not that kind of guy,” he said, face red. For the first time she wasn’t sure if it was because he was embarrassed or angry. 

“And what kind of guy would that be?” she asked, genuinely mystified. 

“I know that s-sex isn’t as taboo anymore but-

“Morning guys!” Sam said, smiling cheerfully as he came into the kitchen. 

Nora considered asking him to leave, but Steve was already pushing past Sam and heading down the hall to his room. Well, at least he wasn’t leaving completely. 

“I interrupted something didn’t I?” Sam asked, looking sheepish. 

 

“Don’t worry about it,” she muttered. 

“So...you ready for the benefit tonight?” Sam asked, clearly eager to move to a different subject. 

“I’m not going. I have to babysit.”

“What? No you don’t. Darcy, who I know you haven’t met yet, has it covered. Owes Tony a favor and he called it in cause he doesn’t want you to miss out.”

Nora sighed. 

“Shouldn’t have wasted that favor,” she grumbled. 

“Come on kid, it’s gonna be fun,” Sam promised. 

“Should Tony even be throwing a party? I mean, he just got home from the hospital.”

“Try telling him that.”

“I don’t even have a dress.”

As if on cue, and knowing them they may actually have been listening for the perfect moment, Anna and Nat came in, sporting matching evil grins. 

“We’ve got that covered,” Anna said, holding up the dress that was draped over her arm. 

Nora’s eyes widened and she was mortified to feel tears stinging her eyes. 

“I think we broke her,” Nat deadpanned. 

Nora wiped at the treacherous tears sliding down her cheeks. 

“Sorry! I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I literally never cry. This was really nice of you guys and-

They cut her off, pulling her into a hug, which Sam joined in on too, making her bust up laughing. 

“It’s the Steve Rogers effect. He’s a lovable little shit, but you want to kill him at the same time,” Nat explained. 

“That sounds right,” Nora laughed. 

“Well, we’re gonna fix you up all nice and pretty. If he doesn’t immediately sweep you off your feet then there’s something wrong with him,” Anna said. 

“He’s seen me in pajamas first thing in the morning, which we all know isn’t a pretty sight. And besides he’s already seen me naked. Not sure a dress is gonna make much of a difference,” Nora griped. 

“Nora you’re beautiful and you know it so shut up. He’s a man. Trust me. He needs the push,” Sam said. “Speaking of, I’m gonna make sure he knows he has to go to this shindig because knowing Steve he’s gonna try to get out of it.” 

“Come on, we’re spending the day on Anna’s floor,” Nat said, grabbing her arm. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The three women, and Bucky, spent the day lounging around, chatting and watching movies. 

“If this is a girls day, why is Bucky here?” Nora mused. 

“Cause I’m Steve’s best friend and you have the hots for him,” he deadpanned, leaning against Anna as she braided his hair. He smirked at the look on Nora’s face. “Relax. I’m trying to make that happen for you. Steve’s a little dense.”

“He kissed me back, so I really don’t see what the problem is.”

Bucky sighed. 

“Look, if I had to guess, and trust me I’ve tried my hardest to get him to tell me why he’s being such an idiot, I’d say he doesn’t want a hookup. He doesn’t know how serious you are.”

Nora blinked at him. 

“Please tell me you’re joking.”

“Steve’s always had a problem with self confidence. Ever since he was a skinny sickly kid. He never thought anyone would want him. And now that he basically looks like he was chiseled out of marble, he thinks people only want him for his looks,” Bucky explained. 

“So you’re telling me that he turned me down because he thinks I’m looking for a fling?”

Bucky nodded. 

 

“That...that idiot!”

“Told you he was dense.”

Nora was so peeved. Partly at herself for not even thinking about that and partly at Steve for thinking she was that shallow. Eager to break the tension Anna announced it was time they all started getting ready for the party. 

Nora allowed them to prod her with makeup brushes and tug her hair up into some updo that Nat said was vintage. Anna painted her nails a rich red to match the lipstick they had chosen. Her breath caught when she saw herself in the mirror.

The dress was a deep shade of navy blue with thin straps that fell just off her shoulders. The bodice was fitted to her perfectly, while the skirt flowed out from her waist all the way down to brush the floor. On her feet were a pair of old school black and white saddle shoes, which couldn’t really be seen under the dress. 

Her hair was indeed vintage. The front was pulled up in two victory rolls, while the rest elegantly draped over her left shoulder. The finishing touch was a big yellow sunflower clip just behind her ear to hold her hair in place. 

“Holy shit. You guys made me look amazing!” She cried, pulling the two women into a hug. 

“You always look amazing. We just took it to the next level,” Anna said, grinning. 

Nora took a moment to admire the two of them. Nat had chosen, of course, a long black gown. It hugged her curves and was the perfect blend of simple and elegant. Her makeup was, as always, flawless and her curls were delicately pinned back from her face. Anna was in lavender tea length dress. It had cap sleeves and flowed gracefully down her calves. Nat had worked magic with her hair as well, as it was up in an extravagant mess of curls atop her head. 

Bucky came down the hall into the living room, tugging at his tie. Despite his obvious discomfort, he looked rather dashing. He had decided to forgo his usual messy bun, having slicked back the front of his hair and gathered the back in a ponytail instead. 

“Quit drooling,” Nat teased, elbowing Anna goodnaturedly. 

She blushed when Bucky offered her his arm. 

The four of them headed to the party floor. Yes that’s right, there was a party floor. Why? Because Tony Stark was clearly given too much power. 

 

Nora found Steve almost immediately. He was laughing with Sam by the punch table. He looked incredible as usual in a simple black three piece suit. His tie was light blue, the same color as his eyes. She looked away. A party wasn’t the place for them to talk about...whatever the hell it was they needed to talk about. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Steve saw Nora across the room talking to Pepper, his breath catching in his throat. She looked beautiful. Just like she always did. Sam cleared his throat, letting him know he’d been staring too long. 

“Man just go talk to her,” he said. 

Steve shook his head. 

“You’re being stupid,” Bucky said, coming to stand by him with Anna as his side. 

“Definitely,” Nat agreed, dragging Clint over. 

“Seriously. You guys all know about-

“The only one who’s slow on the uptake is you capsicle,” Tony said, clapping a hand on his shoulder and taking a swig of what was most definitely an alcoholic beverage. 

“Look, I appreciate you guys trying to help, but she doesn’t want-

“Have you actually asked her what she wants?” Tony asked. 

Steve broke off, looking embarrassed. 

“That’s what I thought. Tell you what, I’m gonna go ask her to dance. And if you don’t cut in-

“Then I’ll dance with her,” Sam said.

“And me,” Nat added. 

“Me too,” Anna said. 

There were noises of agreement all around the circle. Steve got the picture. If he didn’t cut in then they’d all keep asking her to dance until he did. He took his time making his way over to her, letting Tony twirl her around the floor for a while as she laughed. He took a deep breath, squaring his shoulder, and reached out to tap Tony’s arm.

“Cap! What can I do for you?” Tony asked, feigning ignorance. 

“W-would you mind if I cut in?” he asked.

“Not at all my friend,” Tony said, shaking Steve’s hand and taking a moment to pull him into an awkward bro hug. “Get your head of your ass and get that ass in gear,” he said, just low enough for him to hear. 

Steve nodded, turning his attention to Nora who was looking at him expectantly with a brow arched. He cleared his throat, placing a careful hand on her waist and taking her hand in his. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nora wasn’t really sure why Steve had asked to cut in, considering he was hardly looking at her as they danced. 

“Well...this is awkward.”

“Sorry. I-I’m not a very good dancer,” Steve stuttered.

“That’s not what I meant,” she said quietly. 

“I know.”

Nora waited to see if he was going to continue, but he didn’t. 

“Okay, if you’re not gonna talk how about you listen?”

Steve nodded. 

“I don’t make first moves. The last man I did that with ended up marrying my sister. So you can imagine why I’d be a little peeved when the man I decided was worth the risk turned me down.”

“Well I-

“I get it. You think I want you for your body. I won’t lie, it’s definitely a perk. But that’s all it is. A perk. I’d still have feelings for you even if you were five four and skinny and sick all the time.”

Steve had stopped leading, standing stock still and gaping at her. He still wasn’t saying anything and after a moment Nora sighed, letting go of him and stepping away. 

“Frankly I’m hurt that you think so little of me Steve. I’m gonna go. Tell the others I’m sorry okay?” She didn’t wait for an answer as she left, proud of herself for not running. 

She leaned heavily against the wall of the elevator. 

“Is everything alright miss?” Jarvis asked. 

“Isn’t that the eternal question. Let me tell you Jarvis, feelings are completely overrated.”

The doors opened on her floor and she pushed the door open, letting it slam behind her as she padded into the kitchen. She had barely toed off her shoes it flew open again to reveal Steve, sweaty and panting. 

“Steve what-

“No! It’s your turn to listen,” he said, crossing the distance between them. 

“First off, I’m an idiot. I should have talked to you like a grown up instead of spending nearly a week pouting at Bucky’s. So I’m sorry for that. But you have to understand, I-I know it’s been years, but my moral code is still stuck in the forties. No one even talked about sex in public. And then you show up and you’re funny and full of spit and vinegar and-and you’re not all coy like the dames from my time used to be and you...you wear my shirts!”

He was breathing heavily, staring at her with wide eyes and she couldn’t help it, she busted up laughing. 

“Uh, pouring my heart out here,” Steve said, glaring at her. 

“Shouting, you wear my shirts, is you pouring your heart out?” she asked through the laughter. 

“I’m trying to tell you that I have feelings for you too! I just thought you wanted, well, this,” he said, gesturing to his whole body. 

Nora sobered quickly, moving slowly into Steve’s face and placing a soft hand on his chest, fiddling with his tie. 

“I know. You could have asked.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, eyes searching her face. 

“You’re amazing Steve. How can you not know that?” she asked quietly. 

“Hard to think like that the way it was back when I was smaller. Girls weren’t exactly lining up for a guy they might step on.” 

Nora smiled, gripping his tie and pulling his face down to hers so their lips were almost touching. 

“Well I intend to show you exactly how wanted you are,” she said, pressing forward and capturing his lips in a kiss. 

Steve’s hands gripped at her hips and he pulled her closer, eagerly kissing her back. It was just as sloppy as their first one and Nora pulled back, giggling. 

“Steve, have you ever actually kissed anyone?”

“Was it bad?” Steve asked, sounding self conscious. 

“It wasn’t bad. You just need a little practice. Here, let me lead and follow what I do.”

“O-okay.”

She kissed him slowly, dragging her lips against his and smiling as he mimicked her. This. This was better. Steve was a quick learner and he was bold, brushing his tongue against her bottom lip. She gasped softly, opening to him and letting him map out her mouth. 

His hands were all over her, running down her sides to grip tight at her hips as she kept her grip on his tie with one hand while the other dared to sneak down and grab his ass. She giggled at the squeak of surprise that pulled from him, but it soon melted to a moan when he began trailing hot open mouthed kisses down her neck, along her collarbone. It occurred to her that they were making out like a couple of teenagers right in the middle of the kitchen. She pulled away from Steve abruptly. 

“Everything okay?” he asked. 

“Yeah. Uh, fine. But we’re in the middle of the kitchen. What if Sam comes back?” 

Steve hummed in agreement and lifted her into his arms, heading down the hallway. 

“This is what you want right?” he asked as he kicked open the door of his bedroom. 

Nora nodded. 

“But Steve, if you wanna wait we can-

Steve practically dropped her on the bed, settling his weight over her and kissing her so hard she thought she might sink into the mattress. Well. Guess that answered that. 

Despite having given him the go ahead, Steve was still keeping his hands mostly to himself. They were safely on her hips and had yet to come close to her chest or her ass. She pulled away from the kiss, smiling when Steve tried to chase her lips. 

“As nice as this is, trust me, it is. Y-you can touch me. I mean...wherever you want,” she said, biting her lip nervously. 

“I was trying to be a gentleman,” he grumbled. 

“I like that you’re old fashioned, but I’m sure as hell not a lady. So touch me. Like you want me.”

“Oh believe me, I do,” he said, surging forward and kissing her again. 

This time he let his hands wander freely. When his hand, big and warm, slid up her chest to cup her breast she arched into the touch. She moved to pull off her shirt and then remembered she was still in her dress. She pulled away again, making Steve groan. 

“You know, it’s hard to kiss you the way I want to when you keep pulling away,” he said, pouting. 

“Sorry. I just figured it would be better to get out of this dress sooner rather than later.”

Steve’s eyes widened and for the first time since they’d started this he looked nervous. Screw nervous. He looked scared. 

“Hey, we don’t have to do this,” she said, touching his cheek. 

He turned his head, pressing a kiss to her palm. 

“I want to. You just surprised me is all.”

He helped her into a sitting position, his fingers finding the zipper at the back of her dress. Eyes on her the whole time I slid it down slowly. He slid the straps off her shoulders and carefully pulled the dress all the way off, breath catching. 

“Y-you’re-

“Naked is the word you’re looking for,” she said cheekily. 

“I was gonna say beautiful,” he said seriously. 

Nora smiled, pressing a brief kiss to his lips before she was shoving at his suit jacket. He snapped out of his stupor, helping her get it off his shoulders. They both had a good laugh when his tie got stuck over his face. When his shirt was off she had to pause in undressing him to admire the expanse of muscle laid out for her. 

Her hands drifted over his stomach, making his abs quiver. She smirked, climbing into his lap, nibbling on his neck as she began a steady roll of her hips. Steve gasped, one hand tangling in her hair while the other snaked down to grab her ass, pulling her even closer. She moaned softly against his neck, sucking hard and knowing it would leave a mark. 

“How’s it feel?” she asked, lips pressed against his ear. 

“G-good. So good,” he groaned back. 

“Mmm,” she hummed against him. “Hope this isn’t a rental, because it’s gonna be ruined. Can you feel how wet I am?” she whispered huskily. 

Steve whimpered, burying his face in the crook of her neck. 

“I-If you keep d-doing that, I’m gonna-

He broke off with a choked moan as she picked up the pace. 

“It’s okay. I want you to. Want you to come. Just like this. Take the edge off,” she told him. 

Steve groaned again, snapping his hips up to meet hers, rhythm already stuttering. Nora held him close as he came, mouth open in a silent cry. 

She pressed kisses all over his face as he shuddered through his orgasm, breathing raggedly against her. 

“Was that okay?” she asked. 

Steve nodded, blinking at her and looking a little dazed. It occurred to her that this may have been Steve’s first orgasm with another person. 

“I, uh, probably should have asked this before but, are you a virgin?” she asked, hoping the question didn’t kill the mood. 

“No. I’ve...a couple of times. But it wasn’t, I mean, I don’t think I was very good.”

Nora huffed and shook her head. 

“I have a hard time believing that.”

“Well she didn’t...finish,” he said, clearing his throat and avoiding her eyes. 

Nora dragged Steve in for a kiss, long and slow and deep. She wasn’t all that surprised to feel that he was getting hard again as he pressed her back against the bed. He broke the kiss, swallowing hard. 

“What if I..what if you don’t...I-I want you to have…” he trailed off, looking frustrated. 

“Steve, I’m not shy about what I want. If you do something I don’t like or it’s not working for me, I promise I’ll tell you. We can figure out what works for us together, okay?” she said, trying to reassure him. “Now get the hell out of those pants.”

Steve shook his head, opting to press kisses down her chest instead. His eyes met her for a brief moment before he sucked a pebbled nipple into his mouth, laving over it with his tongue. She pressed up into the touch, sighing. 

He took his time, giving her over nipple the same treatment and then his fingers were drifting lower. Her legs fell open on instinct at the first press of his finger against her and screw Steve for saying he wasn’t very good cause he found her clit without any trouble at all. 

She keened as he rubbed slow circles over her clit, eyes on her face to gage her reaction. 

“You like that?” he asked. 

It took her a moment to realize he wasn’t trying his hand at dirty talk, he was actually asking. There was something so _Steve _about that she couldn’t help the small huff of laughter.__

__“Yeah. I-It’s good, ah!” she broke off when he pressed a little harder, leaning down to nip at her chest, leaving marks all over._ _

__Steve’s fingers were warm and gentle and she found herself getting too close too fast. She caught his wrist, pulling it away and taking a few breaths._ _

__“W-what’s wrong? Did I-_ _

__“I want to come with you inside me,” she said simply._ _

__Steve swallowed hard, nodding. He kicked off his shoes and socks, breath hitching when Nora slipped his belt from the loops and tossed it to the floor. She crawled forward, pressing kisses to the skin just above the waistband of his pants as she undid the button, sliding the zipper down with her teeth.  
She pushed his pants down over his hips, mouthing at his cock through his black boxer briefs. Steve rasped out a breath, firm hands on her shoulders pushing her away. _ _

__“Save that for next time,” he said._ _

__“Next time huh?” she teased._ _

__“I-I mean if you want to.”_ _

__“Of course I want to you dork.”_ _

__She pushed his pants the rest of the way off and his underwear quickly followed. Steve wasted no time crawling over her. He rummaged briefly in his bedside drawer, coming out with a condom and sliding it on quickly._ _

__Nora let out a shaky breath, taking his cock in hand and guiding him to her._ _

__“You’re sure,” Steve asked._ _

__“If you don’t get in me now I’m going to my room and getting my vibrator.”_ _

__Steve rolled his eyes, making a mental note to ask about said vibrator later, before he was pressing into her, eyes fluttering shut. He waited a moment, giving Nora time to adjust, but she wasn’t having it, her hands cupping his ass and dragging him closer._ _

__His hands found hers, lacing their fingers together and pinning her arms on either side of her head as he began to rock into her in earnest. Nora was letting out these, mildly embarrassing, little gasp with every slow drag of his cock inside her._ _

__“T-this isn’t gonna last long,” Steve warned._ _

__“It’s okay. It’s okay, I’m close too. God, _Steve _,” she moaned.___ _

____He answered her moan with a deep groan of his own, snapping his hips faster, pressing hot opened mouth kisses against her neck._ _ _ _

____“N-Nora I’m-_ _ _ _

____“A-almost. I’m almost there. Don’t stop! Please, Steve. Don’t stop, give it to me,” she whimpered, rocking her hips up to meet each thrust as best she could._ _ _ _

____“Want to see you come. P-please. _Nora _,” he begged.___ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______“I-I’m, oh God, Steve I’m-_ _ _ _ _ _

______She cut off, back arching up off the bed as her orgasm swept through her, making her toes curl as she cried out. Steve followed immediately after, coming with a choked cry, muffled against her shoulder_ _ _ _ _ _

______They lay together, breathing hard as they came down. Steve carefully pulled out, tossing the condom in the wastebasket before collapsing next to her, pulling her to his chest. He rubbed her back, pressing kisses to her sweaty forehead and dragging the blanket up over them when he felt her shivering._ _ _ _ _ _

______“That was awesome,” she said sleepily._ _ _ _ _ _

______Steve hummed in agreement, snuggling closer to her, burying his face in her hair._ _ _ _ _ _

______“So, um, do I get to take you on a real date after this?” Steve asked, sounding a little nervous._ _ _ _ _ _

______Nora smiled up at him, pressing a lazy kiss to his lips._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Absolutely.”_ _ _ _ _ _


	7. Chapter 7

Nora woke the next morning to an empty bed. Something she definitely hadn’t expected. Steve didn’t seem the type. 

Slightly annoyed and very grumpy, as she always was in the morning, she pulled open Steve’s dresser and snagged one of his shirts and a pair of sweats. She had to roll the pants a few times to get them to stay up, but figured it was good enough as she shambled to the kitchen groggily. 

Steve, chipper as ever, already had a steaming mug of coffee waiting for her on the counter. He glanced over his shoulder from where he stood at the stove, offering her a small smile as she took a long sip. 

“Morning beautiful,” he said, looking almost shy. 

“Morning. Don’t call me beautiful. We both know I look like garbage in the morning. It’s cool,” she grumbled. 

Steve looked like he wanted to protest but thought better of it at the look on her face. Smart man. 

He slid her a plate of eggs and bacon, sitting across from her and digging into his own. They ate in silence. Bless Steve for understanding she needed time in the morning to fully wake up before talking was allowed. He took her plate when she was finished, tossing it in the sink and refilling her mug. 

“You my friend win the award for best morning after. Thanks for breakfast. And, ya know, last night” she said, grinning. 

Steve huffed, shaking his head. 

“I feel like I should be thanking you.”

“How about we thank each other and call it good?”

“Deal,” Steve said, leaning across the counter and pressing a soft kiss to her lips. 

She let out a noise of protest when he pulled away, slinking out of her chair and sliding into his lap so quickly Steve wasn’t even sure how it happened. She snuggled close to him, resting her head on his shoulder and curling her legs into his lap. 

“So...now you’re stealing my pants too?” he asked. 

“Hmm, you love it,” she said. 

Steve tilted her chin up so she was looking at him. 

“Yeah. I do.”

He kissed her soft and slow. Her hand slid up his chest and around to the back of his neck to tangle in his hair. 

“Finally!”

They jolted apart, turning to see Sam leaning against the door, a wide grin on his face. 

“Way to ruin the moment,” Nora griped, yelping when Steve stood, lifting her bridal style. 

“If you’ll excuse us Sam. We have big plans today,” Steve called over his shoulder as he headed down the hall. 

“We do?” Nora asked, arching a brow. 

Steve grinned at her, eyes almost predatory. 

“We do.”


End file.
